1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the field of amusement games played using cards or other similar elements according to a set of pre-established game rules. More specifically, the invention relates to a game in which multiple players engage in play generally involving taking turns, wherein each turn may include taking actions associated with cards in their hands, drawing cards from a deck, discarding cards, and exchanging cards with other players, with the objective being accumulating points or tokens representative of points, according to pre-established rules of the game. The game offers flexibility and ease of adaptation since its structure of play accommodates use of game pieces and other game elements that can be by customized and tailored to suit consumer interests.
2. Background of the Related Art
Drawing games
Various types of card games are well-known and popular wherein players are dealt hands comprising generally a plurality of cards which either afford their holders advantages, or saddle them with disadvantages, relative to accomplishing the goals of the game. One example is the game known as xe2x80x9cOld Maidxe2x80x9d. In that game (and variations thereon) the object of the game is to arrive at the end of the game without holding a card designated the xe2x80x9cold maid.xe2x80x9d In at least one variation of that game, all of the cards in a deck are distributed (dealt) to the players so that each player has a xe2x80x9chandxe2x80x9d of cards. Then, the players in turn exchange cards with one another by xe2x80x9cdrawingxe2x80x9d from each others"" hands. Depending on which cards are acquired a player may be required (or allowed) to xe2x80x9cdiscardxe2x80x9d certain cards or combinations of cards (for instance, pairs) with the result that the number of cards in his or her hand will be depleted. Ultimately, players will xe2x80x9cgo outxe2x80x9d as all of their cards are discarded in pairs or drawn by other players. Suspense in the game of xe2x80x9cOld Maidxe2x80x9d results from the players not knowing when or if they may draw the xe2x80x9cold maidxe2x80x9d card from an opponent.
Another example of a card game in which players exchange cards with one another is the game known as xe2x80x9cGo Fishxe2x80x9d. In that game (or at least one variation thereon), players are dealt hands comprising a predetermined number of cards (for instance, seven). A turn of play comprises a player asking an opponent whether he or she is holding a certain kind of card in his or her hand. The asking player does so in hopes of collecting matching cards and generating, for instance, pairs or four of a kind which the asking player then discards (or otherwise sets aside). In that game, if one player requests a type of card the opponent does not have, the opponent responds by directing the requesting player to xe2x80x9cgo fishxe2x80x9d whereupon the requesting player draws a card from a deck or pile of cards. In this way, drawing from the deck or pile of cards affords the requester a second chance to collect the requested card. The game ends when one or more players xe2x80x9cgo outxe2x80x9d by discarding all of their cards. Winners are determined, for example, according to which player goes out first, or alternatively, according to who had discarded or set aside the most pairs or groups of four-of-a-kind at the time when a player goes out.
Each of the games just described share a similarity in the sequence of play in that the exchange of cards between players occurs early in the course of a turn of play and, at least potentially, as a predicate to other events taking place during a turn of play. In this way, subsequent activity during that specific turn of play may either aggravate or alleviate the consequences of the exchange of cards for a given player. In xe2x80x9cOld Maidxe2x80x9d, following the transfer of a card from one player to another, the recipient player may have an option to discard a newly generated pair, for example, and enhance that player""s competitive standing by bringing that player closer to xe2x80x9cgoing outxe2x80x9d. In xe2x80x9cGo Fishxe2x80x9d, if a card is transferred following a request, the recipient player likewise is benefited by potentially having generated a pair or four-of-a-kind which the player may then discard prior to the close of his or her turn. According to at least one customary method of play, that player is allowed to take another free turn.
Not present in either of the two games described, or apparent in the prior art, generally, is a feature whereby players are required to exchange cards at the close of their turn without any option thereafter during that turn to change the composition of their hand. As described more in detail below, this feature has the potential for building suspense for the players in a way that is not described in the prior art.
Thematic considerations in games
The card games just described, as well as other amusements, can be adapted to various themes to enhance their marketability. Producers of games and toys often tailor their products to take advantage of current commercial trends and contemporary consumer interests or fads. For example, often, in association with the release of a new motion picture, toy manufacturers sell merchandise bearing features taken directly from the motion picture. Accordingly, toys ranging from action figures and dolls to games and youth literature are frequently marketed so as to take advantage of trends in popular culture. Likewise, toys, games and books have been manufactured and sold which reflect less transient elements of culture. Characters and themes from classic books and nursery rhymes, for example, appear and reappear in the play things enjoyed by each new generation. Producers of toys and games stand to benefit by designing into their products a certain degree of flexibility accommodating adaptation to themes of cultural interest. Individuals, as well, enjoy and appreciate opportunities to exercise flexibility and adaptation in their endeavors. Crafts, for example, offer one avenue for expressing personal creativity, and they may be adapted to the personal interests of those who enjoy them.
Although adaptability and flexibility are qualities appreciated by consumers of certain goods, those features are by no means apparent across the gamut of products sold by the toy and game industry. Many prior art card games lack a significant degree of flexibility either for game manufacturers to customize games according to themes, or to empower players, themselves, to fashion game pieces and equipment.
The present invention provides a game that can be played using cards (or other similar elements as explained in detail below). According to the game, multiple players engage in play generally involving steps comprising: 1)individual players, in turn, taking actions based on directions associated with the cards held in their hands at the beginning of their turn, and then 2) transferring cards by drawing cards from other players"" hands. The actions taken by a player executing his or her turn may have favorable or unfavorable consequences to that player""s and others"" competitive interests in the game.
Turns continue through the progression of the game until its conclusion with players taking turns according to a rotational sequence. For purposes of this disclosure, including the claims; xe2x80x9crotational sequencexe2x80x9d refers to a sequence of play in which players engage in turns serially until each has had a turn, whereupon the first to play then takes another turn, and play progresses in the new round according to the order established in the earlier round.
Suspense and diversion in the game derive, in part, from those favorable or unfavorable consequences, as well as from the xe2x80x9cdrawingxe2x80x9d step occurring at the end of a player""s turn. Because of this unique feature, players may lose desirable cards or acquire undesirable ones without possibility for immediate recourse to either capitalize on or minimize the effect of those consequences:
The invention, generally, including the embodiments disclosed herein, is flexible and adaptable to various themes. For example, various of the elements of the game may be associated for purposes of presentation and marketing with story characters of contemporary or enduring interest to children and families. The degree of flexibility and adaptability of the game even conveniently affords the option of empowering purchasers of the game and their families to individually customize game pieces according to their own desires. Finally, the invention can be adapted without departing from the spirit of this disclosure and the appended claims to various electronic, computer-implemented or other embodiments of interest to or demanded by consumers.
An object of the invention is to provide a game utilizing cards and tokens for play by a plurality of players.
Another object of the invention is to provide a game, comprising a set of rules of play including a provision requiring players to take turns in rotational sequence, wherein a turn comprises the player engaging in the turn taking at least one specific action with respect to at least one card held by that player at the outset of the turn, and the player engaging in the turn acquiring at least one card not held by that player at the outset of the turn.
Another object of the invention is to provide a game including a provision in the rules prohibiting players from taking action in the course of a turn with respect to any cards acquired by them during such turn.
Another object of the invention is to provide a game that includes a provision for players exchanging cards at the end of a turn.
Another object of the invention is to provide a game that is suited to adaptation to desired themes and even customization of cards and tokens by the user.
These and other objects, novel features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the following description, including the drawings or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
For purposes of the disclosure, including the appended claims, the game to be described may be played using traditional tangible playing cards (such as are commonly made of paper, cardboard or plastic) adapted to include the various indicia consistent with aspects of the invention described in this disclosure and necessary to achieve the ends of the game. It is, however recognize that the principles of the game may be equally suited to play using other elements substituted for traditional playing cards. Such other items could include, for example, items similar to dominoes, other tangible game pieces, or even electronic or computer-generated representations of elements having characteristics similar to playing cards, so long as the necessary indicia, or their equivalents, can be included on those items. Therefore, when commonly-understood game terms (such as xe2x80x9ccardxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9ccardsxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cdeckxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9chandxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cplayxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cdrawxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cdiscardxe2x80x9d) are used in this disclosure, including the claims, they are intended both to apply in the context of traditional playing cards according to the game terms"" usual meanings, and also to apply analogously where other tangible or electronic substitutes for traditional playing cards are used.
Additionally, for purposes of this disclosure, it is acknowledged that game objects may be characterized equivalently in either positive or negative terms without substantially departing from fundamental principles of play. Specifically, it is considered to be a matter of choice whether a game object is defined, for example, as gaining a maximum number of points compared with competitors (where points are deemed to be favorable) or as collecting the fewest number of points compared to competitors (where points are deemed to be a liability). Accordingly, in all instances in this disclosure where objectives are recited in a positive form of characterization, and an equivalent negative form of characterization could logically be inferred, such recitation is intended to mean and include both the positive the corollary negative forms of characterization.
Fundamentally, the claimed invention is a game wherein a plurality of players compete for either points or physical representations connoting points, (both herein referred to as tokens). The object of the game is to acquire and possess as many tokens as possible when play is complete. The winner is that player (or those players in the case of a tie) with the most tokens at the end of the game.
Play of the game takes place using cards bearing indicia that direct players to take various actions including acquiring and losing tokens, protecting tokens against loss, and changing the composition of one""s hand by either drawing cards or discarding cards, or both. As will be explained, drawing of cards may be from a deck or from opponents"" hands. Play of the game also requires using tokens (as defined in this disclosure) which ultimately determine who wins the game.
Specific cards are identified according to their indicia which, as in the case of many well-known card games, are known only to players holding them (until such time as those players reveal the cards to other players). Necessary types of cards include the following:
A first card (herein designated a protagonist card) that permits a player who holds and turns in such a card at a designated time to acquire, for example, one token. (According to one embodiment of the invention, protagonist cards make up a proportion of about xc2xc to ⅙ of the cards in the deck.) 
A second card (herein designated a antagonist card) that requires a player who holds such a card at a designated time to turn in the card and lose, for example, one token. (According to one embodiment of the invention, antagonist cards make up a proportion of about xc2xc to ⅙ of the cards in the deck.) Optional other types of cards (used according to an embodiment of the invention) include: 
A third card (herein designated a protection card) that permits a player who holds such a card at a designated time to associate such a card with, for example, one token and thereby render that token invulnerable to loss by that player due to action of a antagonist card. (According to one embodiment of the invention, protection cards make up a proportion of about ⅕ to {fraction (1/10)} of the cards in the deck.) 
A fourth card (herein designated a wild card) that premits the player holding that card at a designated time to, for example, trade in that card for another card drawn from a deck of cards. Optionally, rather than turning in the wild card as just described, a player may electy to retain it in his or her hand in hopes of collecting, over ther course of play, more than one (for example, three) wild cards. Cards retained in this fashion may, for example, according to this option, be turned in at a designated time to acquire, for instance, one token. (Another optional variation of the use of wild cards is to allow players who turn in multiple wild cards to acquire more than one toaken (for example, two or three tokens), thereby enchancing the benefit of holding such cards.) (According to one embodiment of the invention, wild cards make up a proportion of about xc2xc to ⅙ of the cards in the deck.)
Other cards may be included, as well. Such other cards are herein designated match cards and may comprise various categories or types of cards defined by indicia on the cards. According to one embodiment of the invention, match cards offer an opportunity for players, holding pairs of such cards at a designated time, to discard such pairs. As will be explained further below, discarding under certain circumstances, may lead to potentially desirable changes in the composition of players"" hands. (According to one embodiment of the invention, match cards make up the balance of cards in the deck following inclusion of the other cards just described in the proportions noted.)
The numbers and proportions of the various types of cards in a deck may be adjusted and is considered to be a matter within the scope of reasonable experimentation by those skilled in the art of game manufacture and marketing. The precise numbers and proportions for specific applications will depend on the desired complication and pace of each particular game being devised or constructed according to the principles of the invention. Additionally, the number of players and certain operational rules associated with particular game applications are considered to be flexible and within the expertise of game manufacturers and marketers. Such operational rules may include such considerations as sequence of play and game completion.
The game just described offers a general structure and specific play elements that are well suited to adaptation to various themes. For example, the protagonist and antagonist cards described may be devised to bear correlation to characters in stories. The matching cards and other elements such as the wild cards could be associated with, for example, minor characters or other memorable parts of stories. As indicated above, both contemporary or traditional themes may be employed to enhance the market appeal or uniqueness of embodiments of the game. It is envisioned that, without departing from the inventive game principles explained herein, a manufacturer of games and amusements could market an array of products, for example, tying in with a popular series of books or motion pictures, or alternatively, with historical or mythical characters. In this way, the game is easily adapted for educational purposes.
Another feature of the game, and an extension of the adaptability of the invention, just discussed, is that it is suited to personal customization by individuals and families, thereby adding to the fun and uniqueness of the game. For example, game elements such as cards can be provided without elaborate designs or colors, or even with very limited indicia adequate simply to permit distinguishing one card from another. This offers the users the opportunity to design and decorate the cards according to their own interests and preferences. One approach to marketing such a product could include providing decoration suggestions and even art supplies suited to coloring and customizing the appearance of the cards and tokens.